


Coming to the Lake

by starsmahogany



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, Painting, Post-Mockingjay, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 18:18:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16877862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsmahogany/pseuds/starsmahogany
Summary: Katniss is growing more comfortable with her relationship with Peeta, and also herself. For that reason, a simple trip to the lake for artistic purposes is bound to turn into far more.Post Mockingjay, Katniss' POV.





	Coming to the Lake

Never in my wildest dreams would I have pictured myself doing this. I never thought of myself as being this bold. Yet, here I lay aside the natural beauty of the lake, showing off my natural state as well.

I’m not uncomfortable though. A bit modest perhaps, as usual, but not uncomfortable. Hardly anyone in District Twelve knows about this location, and an even smaller percentage actually comes to visit. It’s pretty much for Peeta and I’s eyes only.

And my body is for his eyes and his eyes alone.

He’s seen me like this plenty of times before. Ever since I, we, first worked up the courage to take pleasure in each other, it’s become something of normalcy over the past few weeks.

I suppose there’s something a little special about this instance though, a little more sacred. This in itself isn’t inherently sexual. It’s sensual though, maybe. There’s something about laying like this for him, presenting myself in this manner, and watching his gaze scouring my every curve with masterful concentration.

I’d normally get nervous under such an intense stare, but I know he’s deep into his work, deep into his beautiful craft. And while he observes me, recreates me, it gives me time to indulge in observing him as well.

The way his eyebrows furrow slightly as he strains to get the details just right. The way his hair and eyes seem to capture the golden hue of the sun. The way a slight blush smooths across his cheeks when his eyes occasionally catch mine. The way he can remain professional, stoic, despite the current situation.

Will there ever be a time where my adoration doesn’t soar for Peeta Mellark? Doubtful.

He must sense that I’m returning his strong stare, because he finally breaks the comfortable silence with a gentle murmur.

“What?”

“Nothing,” I reply, shifting myself slightly on the blanket beneath me, a warmth spreading across my face.

We venture back into another quiet between us, listening only to the bustling morning around us. His chuckles however, are quick to break through the seamless stream of bird songs and animal calls.

“What yourself?”

“Nothing…” he says, before grinning wider and continuing, “Well, actually, I just…can’t believe  _you_  talked me into this.”

“Me? Haven’t you always wanted to do this?”

“Yeah, of course,” he chuckles, admirably continuing to paint throughout our exchange, “I just…never really pictured you proposing it.”

“Neither did I…”

He gives me a harder laugh, one that gets my heart twittering in my chest and a smile splitting my cheeks.

“How are you feeling by the way?” he asks once he settles, “Are you still comfortable?”

“As comfortable as I can get lying naked on the ground.”

Again he laughs, which sends a huff of mirth through my nose.

“Seriously though.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I murmur, giving my sun-warmed limbs a small stretch.

“That’s good. I shouldn’t be much longer. Capturing such beauty onto a canvas is definitely a challenge though.”

I feel myself blush immensely, and I must be making some kind of face, because Peeta gets chuckling all over again.

“What? It’s true! I don’t think I can really do you justice.”

My embarrassed yet playful scowl deepens, and I grumble to shut his compliments down.

“Then shhhh and concentrate.”

He laughs again, but obliges, falling back into his artful quiet. I smile softly to myself, the two of us watching each other without a care in the world. It’s oddly relaxing really, despite being so exposed out in the open. The feeling of being this comfortable with him, this comfortable with each other, this comfortable with life in general is…so incredibly soothing.

I could almost doze off under the warmth of the rising sun and the gentle protection of Peeta’s stare. Unfortunately, the tranquility comes to a slow stop with just a few words.

“Okay…I think that does it.”

I hesitantly pick my head up off the blanket, before sitting up fully. He’s grinning at me of course, but I watch as a bit of shyness dots the corners of his mouth.

“Want to come see?”

I bite my lip, my body flushing with warmth, but nod. Not even bothering to dress myself again, I walk over to where Peeta’s situated, sliding next to him to appreciate his work. I can feel his eyes on my body yet again, but this time I pay it no mind.

Because what I see causes my quickly beating heart to practically deaden.

The almost photo realistic quality to the scenery, the striking colors, the overwhelming presence of myself in the center of it all. The lake and the trees around it are enough to take my breath away. But the way he depicted me…

My cheeks must be redder than the colors he used for the flowers. He chuckles nervously; my lack of words is probably slightly unsettling.

“Katniss?”

“I…You made me look…”

The word I have poised on my tongue feels incredibly strange to say, making my mouth run dry, but it’s definitely true. And it’s something Peeta uses to describe me all the time. I have no choice but to utter it.

“…Stunning.”

Peeta practically deflates next to me, before laughing and snaking a hand around my hip, pulling me taut to his side.

“I only painted what I saw, love,” he murmurs, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek.

I open my mouth to fire back with a retort, but come up empty handed. It’s all the more difficult to deflect his compliments when I’m completely captivated by his work, by…how I look to him.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt more beautiful.

Shutting my mouth, I continue to blush immensely, and instead go for burying my face into his collar, uttering the three words reserved just for him.

“I love you…”

His body practically explodes with warmth, challenging that of the sun.

“I love you too…more than anything…”

He’s back to kissing me again, pressing his lips against my jaw and neck. Though, these kisses feel a bit more passionate, a bit more fiery.

I lean back away from him, but only for the purpose of finally lifting my lips to his, pulling him into a passionate kiss. He sighs appreciatively, his hands finding purchase on my cheeks as he holds me close.

It’s no surprise that our kiss begins to evolve, to warm up like the air around us. I knew this would have happened anyway.

 Gentle glides and passes of our mouths become more rushed, more desperate. Our reverent, loving silence turns into heavier breaths and soft moans. Peeta’s hands leave their perch and begin to slowly wander, slipping down my backside and leaving small fires in their wake. When he reaches the small of my back, sending a jolt up my spine, I suddenly become very aware of both the situation and my current exposed state.

“Peeta…”

He grins against me and pulls away, but not without tugging on my bottom lip with his teeth.

“Guess I couldn’t keep the artist facade going forever,” he chuckles softly.

“You were very professional,” I whisper back, before my cheeks flush with a bolder thought, “I guess a…proper thank you is in order?”

He slowly licks his lips, giving me another intense stare as his blue irises run stormy. I go a bit weak in the knees, but he barely gives me time to process anything before he’s locked me in another deep, claiming kiss.

I half-expect him to quickly pack up his things, and hurry us back home to the solitude of our bedroom. He surprises me however, when he begins to toy with the bottom of his shirt with a hand, slowly working up his abdomen.

He breaks away when he’s hiked it up enough, pulling it fully up and over his head. I’m momentarily frozen, enraptured, as I watch him join me, quickly making work of his pants and boxers.

Seeing his bare form as well, seeing him ready, causes the reality of the situation to sink in fully. My modesty, my nerves, are quick to jump back in with the possibility of another first for us.

“Here…?” I somehow manage to breathe.

“Yes, here…” he murmurs.

He snaps our tension momentarily as he surveys the area around us, looking for just the right place to lay his claim to me. When he turns back to face me however, he must notice my facial expression, pick up the feelings of unease starting to run through me. It’s very quick to bring him out of his lustful haze.

“I mean, only if you’re alright with that of course,” he says, “Would you be more comfortable at home?”

I let out a shaky breath. I would be more comfortable there, yes. Not a lot of people come to the lake, surely. Peeta and I are definitely the most frequent visitors. But of course, with our luck, it’s very possible someone could stumble upon us.

Peeta using my body as a subject of his masterful craft is one thing, a bit more on the appropriate side. The two of us delighting in each other for all to see however…

I bite my lip, my heart likely visible beneath my skin with its intense, fast beats.

“Hun…” Peeta murmurs, his voice ever so gentle, “We really don’t have to. I’m sorry, I just got a little carried away.”

My first instinct to nod and agree to go home. The twittering thumps in my chest urge me to go down that path. The more I look at Peeta however, the more I eye his every muscle, his every bit of definition, I begin to understand the desperation.

Now I feel like the artist with him as my subject, appreciating everything about him. His golden blonde hair, practically casting off light like its own sun. His soft, blue sapphires, sparkling away. His muscles hidden just beneath his skin, taut from his work. His ever-engorging erection, swelling and coaxing with every passing second.

I can see where he’s coming from. Picturing myself having to look at him like this for hours on end…

I clench embarrassingly hard, feeling the extent of his want.

“Sweetheart…”

I don’t give him time to speak further. I practically pounce on him, locking him back into a kiss and puling our bodies flush. I kiss him so hard, so long, that we both have to break away for air, panting against each other’s lips.

“…Here,” I agree in a breathy whisper.

“Wh-”

“Here, Peeta…It’s okay…”

He still seems unconvinced, so I decide to try something he does to me so often, something that causes me to utterly melt beneath his touch. I move my lips to his neck, messily kissing and occasionally throwing a small nip in.

“It’s okay…” I murmur again, before sucking his skin like he always does to me. To my delight, I feel him relax with a breathy groan, pulling him back into the moment.

“We’ll…make it quick…” he pants.

I nod quickly, hungrily, still amazed that he’s able to get me this needy. With one final kiss to his skin, I enter the same mind-numbing fog as him, desperately searching the area for a good spot. I’m a bit shocked at myself with how quickly an idea clicks, and I dart away from Peeta to snatch up our blanket.

I can feel his eyes on me, intently and curiously watching. I throw the blanket over a flat tree trump, before running back, gently snagging his wrists and tugging him towards me. I flip us around and give Peeta a nudge, beckoning him to sit. And before he can question, I’m straddling his lap, lifting my hips just so and poising myself to proceed.

“Oh…hun…” he breathes, his voice coated with awe.

I cannot help but smile at him, leaning my head forward to rest upon his. My facial expression is quickly mirrored, his hands coming to gently grasp my hips.

“You…You don’t have to-”

“My thanks,” I whisper, before lining myself up and sinking down onto his length, enveloping him deep within.

Instantly, it’s like the surrounding world doesn’t matter. The gorgeousness of the lake doesn’t match up to the beauty of sharing this with him. We’ve done this so many times already, but each time feels entirely new, entirely wonderful. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of the feeling, tire of him.

We both sing our approvals; I moan softly and Peeta grunts my name. I pant against him and give myself a moment to adjust, repeatedly clenching my muscles around him and savoring each moan I’m able to coax out. I then begin my bounces, rising up and sinking down repeatedly.

When I get my rhythm going, when I can feel him driving into just the right spot, his hands begin to aid my movements. He helps lift me up before slamming me down, allowing him to traverse deeper and deeper. My whimpers turn sweet the moment the sensation inside does, a wonderful burn already starting to ignite.

“I didn’t think…I would be able to…keep it together…while painting you…” Peeta growls.

“You did…” I whisper between my various gasps.

“Not without…great difficulty…”

I angle myself slightly differently with the next pass, drawing a high pitched moan from my throat.

“But…it was worth it,” he groans.

“Mmm…” I breathe, gripping his shoulders a bit tighter, “Now shhh and…concentrate…”

He lets out a huff of laughter, but it rapidly dies off from my movements, my pelvis practically bucking against his now. He’s hitting me in such a way that the colors of his painting flash through my vision, my lower half completely coming alive. My head involuntarily begins to lull back, my mouth dropping open, a plethora of vocalizations leaving my mouth without a way to hush them.

Our hips are drawn together like magnets, Peeta chasing to match my movement thrust for thrust. We’ve learned so much about each other’s bodies in a relatively short time, what makes the both of us tick. It’s like a sort of dance, the two of us moving in harmony to work each other just right.

“Godddd, Katniss,” Peeta groans, his voice already gaining pitch.

“Yes…Yes…” I breathlessly chant, feeling my wings opening in preparation for flight, what with the flames practically roaring down below.

Peeta clamps down on his bottom lip, his eyes shutting tightly and his nostrils flaring. I know he’s fighting so hard to slow himself down. I know he wants nothing more than for me to soar up before him. It’s never been a concern of mine; just having this is heaven enough. But of course, he manages to dazzle, manages to take me higher.

When I lift myself up again, he halts my downward thrust with his strong grasp. Surprising even more, he gets me to sit further up until I’m practically kneeling over his lap, deprived of our precious connection. My eyebrows furrow slightly in questioning, but I don’t have time to inquire. His hot breath huffs against one of my nipples, and his fingers trail against my center.

And suddenly, I’m blindsided with two new sensations, his mouth sucking and his pads circling. It’s electricity and fire, combining together to create an absolute inferno. My moans intensify in both volume and frequency, my hips continuing to gyrate at everything flowing through me.

“Peeta……”

He takes my nipple between his teeth, giving a nip that sends my form reeling.

“Peeta…”

He hits the sweet spot I was trying to focus on with his fingers, sending both my eyes and hips rolling.

_“Peeta!”_

When I’m a Mockingjay readied to fly, a girl swirling in fire, he sends me back down to Earth, roughly connecting us once more. And it’s perfect, it’s just what I needed. It’s like I bounce right back up into the clouds, everything exploding in a lightning storm around me. I soar through the strikes in utter ecstasy, with white flashes in my eyes and jolts through my core.

Peeta continues to hurriedly thrust into me, so I swoop down and take his hands in mine, urging him to join me. After just two or so more jerks, two or so more groans, he does. We twirl together, holding on for dear life, embracing all that we are. I repeatedly breathe out that I love him, and the same words are echoed back without hesitation.

We float and glide and dance for a few moments more, before slowly the clouds begin to part, revealing the lake’s scenery once more.

I practically droop against Peeta, leaning my head on his and panting heavily in my exertion. He shakily wraps his arms around me and holds me close, inside and out, pressing the occasional kiss to my dewy skin.

There we remain for a few minutes, recovering and reveling. I release a few, small whimpers at the tiny aftershocks coursing through me, causing Peeta to lean back from me. The gorgeous blue with a glassy sheen I’m met with earns him a loving, slow kiss.

“I should ask you to paint me more often…” I lazily murmur into his lips, unsurprisingly earning his wonderful laugh.

“I think that’s a request I can live with…” he chuckles back, his hands tracing patterns on my back.

I sigh and break our kiss, leaning my head atop his again. Grounded once more, my heart flutters slightly at the notion of our passions, how…loud we must have been in an otherwise serene environment. I bite my lip, my eyes cautiously surveying the area for any signs activity, any signs that we might have been heard.

I find nothing out of the ordinary, everything how we left it before we got wrapped up in each other. I let out a slow exhale, relaxing against Peeta. Though, I relax even further when my gaze stumbles upon his painting again, a beautiful, physical slice of these memories to keep forever.

“Thank you…” I whisper.

“Hmm? For what, love?”

“For…all of this. Everything. I love you…”

His arms snake tighter around me, and he presses a few stray kisses against my skin.

“I love you too,” he murmurs, “And you don’t have to thank me. I’m honestly a bit rusty with paintings like that.”

My eyebrows furrow slightly, but just as my mouth is opening to retort, he sends a laugh out instead.

“Guess we’ll have to do this all over when we get home!”


End file.
